Labour pushes for more women in IT

Despite various initiatives to help women develop a greater interest in technology, Minister for Women and Employment Tessa Jowell admits that the UK government has yet to implement specific measures to encourage more women into technical jobs.

"We want to be guided by the experts. We are at a stage where we are identifying the state of the problem, and looking at how that should be translated into specific initiatives," she said.

The government has set up the Feminising IT Taskforce to home in on the issue of opening up careers in IT for women. It will research the extent of the problem, and draw up a plan of action by the beginning of March.

"We attach great urgency to the work of the taskforce," Jowell told Computing in an exclusive interview. "The government recognises that the IT sector is one of the key areas of focus for maintaining our economic competitiveness."

Jowell explained that there was still "an enormous amount to do" to redress the gender imbalance in the workplace and train women in technical skills. The proportion of women in IT has fallen from 29 per cent to 24 per cent since 1994, according to the March 2000 Labour Force Survey.

Last week, Jowell joined ministers, including immigration minister Barbara Roche, social security minister Patricia Hollis and leader of the House of Lords Baroness Jay, to launch Women Unlimited, a work and training fair offering advice to women looking to return to work or set up business on their own.

"IT featured very heavily indeed at the fair," said Jowell, adding that the issue stands at the heart of the government's manifesto for the next election. "This issue plays an enormous role in Labour policy. When we came to government, nothing was happening," she said.

"We've put in specific objectives and increased the affordability of IT training. If we're going to support and equip a workforce for the 21st century, we have to rise to the challenge. Our future competitiveness depends upon it," she added.

First published in Computing